History of Tea Tree Oil

In 1770, Captain James Cook (of the British ship H.M.S. Endeavor) landed at Botany Bay, Australia – near where Sydney is now. From there, he traveled north through the coastal regions of New South Wales. During this trek, he and his crew noticed the massive groves of trees thick with sticky, aromatic leaves.

The local natives told him about the healing powers of these trees. The leaves of this tea tree had been used for many years, by these people, to treat cuts and wounds. Crushed leaves were applied directly to an injury, then held in place with a mud pack. This poultice helped fight infection in the wound.

Australia was originally a penal colony for the worst of England's criminals. As England was so far away, you can imagine how difficult it was to get the proper medicines. Willing to help these suffering people, the local natives (aboriganies) were happy to show them the uses for the Tea Tree, it's oils and it's leaves. Later, other Europeans choose Australia to move to.

Tea tree's effects as a medicine spread amongst those that settled Australia in the 19th century. Eventually the scientific community realised there was something to these "claims" so began to research the effects of the plant, especially the antimicrobial properties of the oil.

Little did the early inhabitants of Austrailia know that 150 years later, Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea Tree) as it was called by Captain Cook, would be used as a medicinal treatment for cuts, burns, bites, and a host of skin ailments.

In 1923, Dr. A.R. Penfold, curator and chemist at the Government Museum of Technology and Applied Sciences in Sydney, Australia, conducted a study of the leaves of the tea tree. Dr Penfold discovered their essential oils to be thirteen times stronger an antiseptic bactericide than carbolic acid, considered the universal standard in the early 1900s.

Dr Penfold noted that the "Tea Tree" is quite common in the North Coast district of New South Wales. He discovered that the oil from the crushed leaves yields an oil of pale lemon tint, with a pleasant terpenic myristic odor. This is oil was successfully used as a non-poisonous, non irritant antiseptic of unusual strength.

During World War II, an outbreak of foot-fungus became so bad as to hospitalize hundreds of Australian soldiers. None of the "modern" ointmints, lotions and medicines would work to stop this fungus. One day, a medic who was an aborigine from Australia, remembered about the Tea Tree and got some of the Oil.

The doctors coated the effected soldiers feet with the pungent smelling oil, and the fungus was killed within a few days!

With modern farming methods, an updated extraction system, and the fact that the Tea Tree grows fast, there's plenty of this wonderful oil to export all over the World.

The many uses for our Tea Tree Oil
Medical data on our Tea Tree Oil
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